1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to apparatus and methods for controllably securing a container, and more particularly, to providing physical evidence of unauthorized access to the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the medical community, and in particular, in hospitals, to store medications in a centralized area or station for dispensing and administering the medications to patients. In the past, these stations were often unsecured, allowing access to unauthorized persons. There are several risks associated with unsecured and uncontrolled stations, such as the wrong type or amount of medication being administered to a patient (e.g., such as when medication is taken from an incorrect container in the station), the medication being stolen, or the mixing of medications.
Securable medication dispensing cabinets that seek to address these risks often use individually securable containers in order to lock medication in the containers. These securable containers, however, if accessed inappropriately, often do not indicate any evidence of inappropriate or unauthorized access. For example, when a container lid is subjected to enough force, certain lid fasteners can temporarily deform to an extent that access to the securable container is gained without permanently damaging the fastener. The lack of evidence of damage to the fastener or any other evidence of unauthorized access can be a problem where, for example, incorrect medications are added to or replaced within a container, or medications are stolen from a container in a low traffic area where detection of the unauthorized access will not be identified for extended periods of time.